SOCOM US Navy Seals Combined Assault

That's what friends are for.

What's the game about: The buddy system. In a move that makes a great deal of sense in the SOCOM universe, U.S. Navy SEALS: Combined Assault adds a four-player co-op option throughout the entire campaign mode. If you're friendless, you get more control over your A.I. teammates through an enhanced contextual-command system; for example, you can now target any of your teammates and tell them to move to specific locations individually.

What's new for E3: Loads of new weapons, including the ability to add an underslung shotgun to your rifle for that special close-quarters experience. Also, "less lethal" weapons, like beanbag rounds, help subdue enemies without terminating them.

What we like: As in Fireteam Bravo 2, enemies now possess specific roles, and will behave with a certain awareness of their role. For example, a machine gunner may hang back and lay down suppressing fire, while a scout may turn your stealth tricks against you by hiding until you come close enough for a close-quarters attack.

What we don't like: While the game will include new multiplayer levels, Zipper wanted it to be backward compatible with SOCOM 3 -- so there are no new multiplayer game types. That means your login will carry over from SOCOM 3, and you'll be able to play against SOCOM 3 players on any of their maps...but it also means we still don't get Fireteam Bravo's excellent Captive mode in a console.

Putting more strain on SOCOM 3's servers may not be the best option here, but we're hoping Sony brings up more infrastructure to support the increased online play. Regardless, the co-op play in the main campaign sounds intriguing.

NOTE: The above ranking is based on this game's showing at E3 only, and is not a review score for the game. We simply are offering our gut reactions on what each publisher and developer chooses to show at E3, to help readers sift through the masses of upcoming game titles displayed at the show.